Starting his youth career at Millwall, Powell made the decision to join South London rival Charlton Athletic at age 19 looking to break into a first team set up. In November 2020 he made his debut for the Addick’s in a 3-1 EFL Trophy victory over London rivals Leyton Orient, but he would have to wait until February 2022 and a loan move to Maidstone in the NLS for his next taste of first team football. At the end of the 2021/22 season Powell was released by Charlton, joining Dulwich Hamlet in November 2022. Powell impressed scoring 6 league goals in a poor Hamlet side who were relegated, this form caught the attention of a number of NLS sides. Tonbridge were the first to grab his signature, but Powell departed in early September in order to play first team football, he joined Dover two days later but left them in January after his contract was terminated by mutual consent. Powell then dropped to Step 3 for the first time joining Surrey based side Walton and Hersham since then Powell has over 40 goals contributions in under two years in an exciting Swans side.
Playstyle
Powell has played mostly as a 10 in his career but in recent times he’s been played almost as a second striker / an advanced playmaker – dropping off from the main 9 and into the half spaces between the opposition’s defence and midfield. Walton have been on fire under manager Billy Rowley, they set up to be very aggressive win the ball high and transition at speed – using their wide players as the ball progressors to get to byline and deliver crosses. Powell is an expert poacher and scores the majority of his goals within the edge of the box and 6-yard box, scoring goals from cut back crosses or anticipating deflections from defenders. This season Powell has already bagged 5 goals in the league with his form contributing to Walton and Hersham’s place at the top of Southern League South.
Strengths
Movement | Goal Scoring Awareness and Intelligence | Vision
Where should he go next
I feel Powell has shown he’s ready for the step up, however from his previous history at Step 2 he needs to be in a team where he’s playing week in week out – Hampton and Richmond and Slough seem to do a lot of smart business from the league below and fit the same playstyle and geography as Walton, but a step 2 move should definitely be a target for Powell.
Torquay have the money, the squad and the stadium to be in the National League and that’s why so many people are sure that Paul Wotton’s side will be in the top three minimum. If Torquay can keep Jordan Young fit and get some of the new signings imbedded and up to speed quickly, I could see them blowing most teams away.
Player to Watch – Jordan Young
2. Ebbsfleet United
Ebbsfleet know what it takes to get out of the NLS, and the recruitment Josh Wright and his team have done so far further aids my prediction – Kwesi Appiah finished on 20 league goals last season, Max Ehmer and Ben Coker have long time EFL careers and younger legs have been added to blend with the wealth of experience.
Player to Watch – Ronny Nelson
3. Chelmsford City
It’s a really exciting time for “Claret” fans, the appointment of Angelo Harrop who won the NLS with Braintree in 2024 and the club finally making the step into full time football will enable them to compete with the division heavyweights. Signings like Joe Grimwood, Dominic Odusanya, Shiloh Remy and the retention of Archie Tamplin show the type of project Harrop is aiming to build, one that I believe will enable a top three finish.
Player to Watch – Archie Tamplin
4. Dorking Wanderers
Dorking will be looking to bounce back after last season’s haunting play off defeat at Boreham Wood. Marc White got his squad prepared and released earlier than most clubs, keeping his squad small but extremely experienced. Mid-season injuries have been the one thing that have haltered “The Wanderers” in recent seasons, if White can reenforce at the right times and not be naive I fully expect Dorking to be up near the top.
Player to Watch – Frank Vincent
5. Eastbourne Borough
Lots of change at Borough and a vast number of important holes to patch due to the departures of Courtney Clarke, Jason Adigun and others. But the appointment of Matt Gray should have fans excited a man who has experience in the EFL and a National League winner’s medal with Sutton. Signings such as Victor Akinwale, Joey Phuthi and Tayt-Lemar trusty show another youthful approach being taken – I believe Eastbourne will be right up there again.
Player to Watch – Victor Akinwale
6. Worthing
There were probably mixed feelings for Worthing fans last season at points they were unstoppable but seem to crumble in the final games of the season (and at the playoffs). I still believe they need goal scorer, a proper killer which they have been missing since Ollie Pearce’s exit, maybe the resigning of young Brad Dolaghan will ignite that. I feel Chris Agutter will be the right man to take them up and the retention of midfield maestro Jack Spong will be key to any success.
Player to Watch – Kwaku Frimpong
7. Maidstone United
Surely its make or break this season for George Elokobi, Maidstone were one of the biggest spenders in the league last season and fell at the final hurdle. Lots of key departures have seen “The Stones” completely stripped back to bare bones – Aaron Blair and Ben Brookes the most detrimental of the losses. I still believe they will get into the play offs, maybe when they throw a bunch of money at it during December but recruitment needs to be effective and suitable for their aims.
Player to Watch – Ruben Carvalho
8. Hemel Hempstead
I believe Lee Allison’s side will be the dark horse of next season, progressive football and interesting recruitment leads me to feel that Hemel can be right up there. Darion Dowrich and Oreofe Bello looked electric at step 3 last season and will be looking to add that flair to “The Tudors” this season – and if they can get Ade Azeez firing, I could see Hemel pushing teams at the top.
Player to Watch – Darion Dowrich
9. Dagenham and Redbridge
I haven’t been convinced by “The Daggers” so far, an underwhelming managerial appointment, random player recruitment and poor pre-season results I sense will see them struggle, but not enough to be in any relegation trouble. Lots of big characters and leaders leaving as well could potentially be a blessing in disguise, but lots of questions are still to be asked of the Essex based side.
Player to Watch – Rashawn Scott
10. Weston-Super-Mare
At one point Weston were clear at the top of the table but a slow second half to the season left them one place outside the play offs. Again, I think they may shoot up the table at some point but won’t be able to maintain form and stay around the mid to upper reaches of the table. Keeping hold of players like Luke Coulson and Sam Pearson will be key to any success this season, so 10th place is where I have the west-country side at.
Player to Watch – Sam Pearson
11. Maidenhead United
“The Magpies” are another relegation side I think will struggle to push for a rebound promotion due to that fact they have a had a huge squad turnover with 17 players leaving – the most notable departures were top scorer Shawn McCoulsky and Reece Smith who had 33 goal involvements between them last season. Alan Devonshire must use the market efficiently to ensure they aren’t dragged into an end of season relegation battle.
Player to Watch – Jordan Ragguette
12. Farnborough
I refer to Farnborough as the Crystal Palace of the NLS, they are never threatened by relegation, but they never really fully push for promotion, and I think this season will be more of the same. I think their summer recruitment has been okay – we can expect goals from Dom Poleon and may make up for the losses of Richard Chin and Ricky Holmes, but I can see past another mid table finish.
Player to Watch – Lachlan Byrd
13. Hornchurch
Daryl McMahon side did an extremely good job last season finishing 9th in their first season in the NLS after being promoted from Step 3. I think the permanent signing of Henry Hearn and the free signing of Charlie Ruff are really exciting additions. I can see them finishing around the same place this season but given the added competition I have opted for a slightly lower position.
Player to Watch – Henry Hearn
14. Hampton and Richmond
“The Beavers” must be the most frustrating teams to support in the NLS, consistently making smart transfers on one of the smaller budgets but whoever is in charge can never get the best out of them as a team – Reece Grego-Cox and Rohan Ince are super experienced at the level above and Eddie Allsopp and Davide Rodari have killed it in Step 3. But again, not being full-time and having an inexperienced manager I can’t see them pushing much higher than 14th.
Player to Watch – Eddie Allsopp
15. Bath City
This season I think Bath could go either way, they struggled under Jerry Gill at the beginning of last season but rose out of any danger and then stagnated for much of the season under Darren Way. With a small recruitment pool and the rise of other west-country sides, Bath have no room for mistakes on new signings but I think there are teams with bigger problems below them.
Player to Watch – Ewan Clark
16. Slough Town
Scott Davies has continued his recruitment approach of identifying gems in the lower leagues, developing them and moving them on to a higher level. Slough fans might hope this season they have a quicker start, but their recruitment approach means new players need to time to adapt to the league. However, signings such as Kiki Oshilaja, Jordan Greenidge and Adam Desbois show the pull Scott Davies has and hopefully they push higher than 16th.
Player to Watch – Jared Myers
17. Chippenham Town
Chippenham are very smart club, low attendances and a small budget but they always make the most of it.The signing of goal machine Olaf Koszela and the defensive solidity and experience of Canice Carroll leads me to believe Chippenham will be alright next season, but at what point do the management team start looking for a more progressive project?
Player to Watch – Olaf Koszela
18. Salisbury
A good first season in the NLS for Salisbury FC, and a new Kuwaiti investor could see lots of money pumped into the club this season. Smart deals such as Dom Revan, Tommy Willard and Matt Briggs could see “The Whites” push much higher than 18th but I’ll believe once I see it.
Player to Watch – Tommy-Lee Higgs
19. Chesham United
Another good return from a promoted side last season – but they must remain smart throughout the season and reinforce at the right times. Slightly underwhelming in their signings so far but players like Josh Addae and Josh Dawodu should really excite Chesham fans.
Player to Watch – Alex Babos
20. Horsham
It will be a tough season for Horsham especially with one of the smallest budgets in the league, but I feel they are in a safe pair of hands in Dom Di Paola. In terms of their squad, they haven’t made a lot of changes which shows the trust in the squad that got them up – but additions such as Rhys Murphy and Leon Gravata show they will give it a good go.
Player to Watch – Leon Gravata
21. Tonbridge Angels
As much as I like the appointment of Craig Nelson (Pitts), I just can’t get over the inexperience in the squad – much of their recruitment has come from Step 3 and mainly from Lewes who finish in mid-table in the Isthmian Prem last season. Replacing Mo Dabre and Liam Vincent’s output will also be a big challenge in a league which the majority of teams are full time.
Player to Watch – Brandon Pierrick
22. AFC Totton
Like I said with Horsham this will be an extremely hard season for any of the teams coming up – with an aging squad and the league becoming ever more competitive I just can’t see it but could Jay Emmanuel-Thomas show his class and fire “The Stags” to safety we will wait and see.
Player to Watch – Christie Ward
23. Enfield Town
Would love to be proven wrong but I think Enfield are in trouble this year – last season “The Towners” did well to avoid a serious end of season relegation battle after a remarkable run of form at the end of the year, I’m just not convinced they can replicate that again, especially after some uninspiring recruitment work so far.
Player to Watch – Henry Hawkins
24. Dover Athletic
Dover started last season well, crashed in December and scrapped a play-off spot on the final day – credit to them as they were the best team in the playoffs but personally not in my top three best sides in the Isthmian Prem last season. Jake Leberl and the squad’s inexperience at Step 2 should be a major worry which is why I can’t see them staying up.
Worthing FC | 22 Years Old | All-Round Midfielder (Can play in the 4,6,8 and 10 role)
Background
Born in Cardiff, Frimpong joined AFC Wimbledon at sixteen following his release from Crystal Palace. This move was followed by a number of loans up and down the non-league pyramid – the first to Leatherhead (Step 3, at the time) where his spell was described as ‘testing’, however a January loan to Carshalton brought some positivity to a frustrating start to life in non-league. Following the conclusion of his loan at ‘The Robins’, Frimpong returned to his parent club and made his senior debut for ‘The Dons’ in August 2022, immediately joining Dartford in the National League South on a one-month loan. He returned to Wimbledon scoring his first ‘Dons’ goal against Crawley in a 3-2 EFL Trophy victory and was then awarded with a league debut, but again this progress led to two further month loans at Potters Bar Town and Metropolitan Police. Unfortunately, his performances didn’t warrant a new deal in the opinion of Wimbledon, this release and a move back to Carshalton was the turning point in Frimpong’s career. Over the past two seasons Frimpong has been a key player in a young exciting Carshalton side who have been battling way above their financial weight in the Isthmian Premier, a league full of powerhouses. These performances were enough to see Frimpong recently join Worthing, another ambitious and exciting side looking to get themselves into Step 1 having reached the NLS Playoffs twice in two years.
Playstyle
Frimpong is an exceptional ball carrier, at Carshalton he played mainly in the 8 role, this meant picking the ball in deep and drive forwards and navigate tights spaces to then create chances – this role also required him to defend a lot which again he excels at doing. Defensively he was asked to cover a lot of ground and be strong in the tackle but did this with ease as he’s so physical and tenacious.
His role at Carshalton was specific, but he definitely displayed attributes and performances that could see him being physical and aggressive enough to play in a single pivot, has the legs and experience to play in the 8 (box to box) and then has that ability and flair to beat a man and pick a pass to play in a sole 10 role. I believe he has the ability and the drive to get himself back into league football, also helps that he’s extremely versatile within midfield.
Reminds me a lot of a more aggressive and hard working Tanguy Ndombele
Non League Geek 